Smart Receipts – PayPal’s Journey
In 2023, PayPal embarked on an ambitious journey of experimentation, driven by the need to swiftly adapt to market dynamics and enhance user experience. Amidst economic challenges, the focus was on rapid iteration and learning to propel the company’s growth trajectory. Central to this endeavour was the Activity platform, the post-transaction interface that served as a critical touchpoint for users.
Activity Platform:
The Activity platform, with its 35 million monthly sessions, presented both challenges and opportunities. It served as the canvas for innovation, reflecting any new product introductions within PayPal’s ecosystem.
My Role:
As part of this initiative, I collaborated closely with cross-functional teams, including Project Managers, Content Designers, Engineers, and UX Researchers. Together, we dissected existing user flows, identified intervention points, and crafted a cohesive strategy.
Experience Strategy & Vision:
A framework was devised to streamline experimentation, leveraging existing components and developing new ones. User journeys, frameworks, and prototypes were meticulously crafted to guide rapid research and drive decision-making.
Scope Definition & Planning:
Working hand-in-hand with Project Managers, we balanced customer and business goals, prioritising features for development and launch. Extensive planning ensured alignment with engineering sprints, fostering seamless coordination among stakeholders.
Design Execution & Validation:
Using Figma, I translated concepts into tangible designs, encompassing journeys, wireframes, prototypes, and design specs. Rigorous review sessions with stakeholders and rapid research validated our approach, ensuring user-centricity at every stage.
Rapid Research:
Quick feedback was gleaned through rapid research, focusing on key questions regarding content discovery, relevance, and usefulness. Insights from researchers and core teams underscored the importance of constant evaluation and iterative improvement.
The Vision & Experiments:
Our vision evolved from merely adding content to facilitating product discovery, while ensuring minimal interference and maximum value for users. Experiments, including SKU/Product Details, Package Tracking Acquisition, and Savings Account Activation, were meticulously executed to achieve this vision.
Execution & Impact:
The execution phase involved rigorous design reviews and collaboration with engineering for seamless implementation. While some experiments saw tangible results, such as the Package Tracking Acquisition banner generating $300k in revenue, others faced challenges, like the ramp-down of SKU/Product Details due to a Quantum Leap.
In summary, PayPal’s journey of experimentation in 2023 exemplifies the power of agility, collaboration, and user-centricity in driving innovation and fostering sustainable growth in a dynamic market landscape.
I am sharing an overview of this project and it is under NDA. To all the curious folks out there, I would love to discuss more about it over a call.